Project Promise lunch pushes total past $1.71m

It was a lunch that promised a lot and money raised from it has pushed Northland cancer charity Project Promise over the $1.71 million mark.

Northland Community Foundation (NCF) manager Liz Woodward said the almost $19,000 raised by the Taste of Promise Lunch, where 120 women sat down to a slap-up lunch, pushed the total over $1.71 million.

Project Promise aims to raise $3 million to build a cancer treatment unit at Whangarei Hospital to make life easier for Northland cancer patients, although some will still have to go to Auckland for some treatments, including radiotherapy.

Ms Woodward said the campaign had a really successful fundraiser with the Warehouse over the Christmas/New Year period where all the stores north of Auckland asked customers to consider making a $1 donation with every purchase to Project Promise. "We are still awaiting the final amount from the Warehouse, but it's expected to be in the tens of thousands," she said.

"We are still looking for the community to support us with its own fundraising efforts for Project Promise."

Ms Woodward said the amount raised meant NCF could now focus on applying for funding for Project Promise from other sources, and would also look at corporate sponsorship.